*Advises Nigerians To Disable Automatic Downloads
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MTN Nigeria has attributed the rapid depletion of mobile data bundles experienced by many Nigerians to poorly configured phone settings, excessive video streaming, social media activities and automatic downloads, rather than unexplained deductions by telecommunications operators.
The company urged subscribers to optimise their mobile phone settings and monitor their internet usage to prevent unnecessary data consumption.
MTN made the clarification during its “Data on Trial” event held in Abuja on Monday, where officials addressed concerns about data depletion, rising internet costs and the challenges facing telecommunications operators in Nigeria.
Speaking at the event, MTN Nigeria’s General Manager of Network Performance and Quality Assurance, Mike Ndukwe, explained that many subscribers unknowingly consume substantial amounts of data through applications running in the background, automatic downloads and video streaming.
According to him, social media platforms, video applications and other internet-based services can consume data even when users are not actively monitoring their usage.
He advised subscribers to disable automatic media downloads, restrict background data consumption and configure applications to download large files only when connected to Wi-Fi.
Ndukwe maintained that rapid data depletion generally results from subscribers’ online activities and device configurations rather than unexplained deductions.
He encouraged customers to familiarise themselves with their smartphones’ data management features and regularly check which applications consume the largest portions of their data bundles.
The MTN official explained that adjusting these settings could help subscribers reduce unnecessary consumption and make their data subscriptions last longer.
Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, defended the cost of mobile data services in Nigeria, citing the high operational expenses incurred by telecommunications companies.
Toriola explained that mobile network operators in Nigeria face infrastructure challenges that increase the cost of delivering telecommunications services compared with countries where basic utilities are more reliable.
According to him, operators are required to provide electricity, transportation and other essential infrastructure to keep their telecommunications sites operational.
He disclosed that MTN spent approximately ₦4.05 trillion on power in the preceding year.
“Even within the context of data being perceived as more expensive in Nigeria, the UK is the example I was giving,” Toriola said.
“Please, understand that in this country, as well as some other African countries, we are providing power and transportation to all our sites.
“The cost of electricity, for instance, is higher here than in the UK,” he added.
The MTN chief executive maintained that these operational challenges contribute to the cost of telecommunications services, particularly as operators continue to expand their networks to meet increasing demand for internet connectivity.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Communications, Peter Akpatason, acknowledged MTN’s investments in Nigeria’s telecommunications sector but stressed that further improvements were necessary.
Akpatason said telecommunications operators must continue investing in infrastructure to improve service quality and meet the expectations of subscribers.
He described initiatives aimed at educating consumers about data usage and addressing misconceptions surrounding telecommunications services as worthwhile.
The lawmaker, however, maintained that there was room for additional investment to improve network performance and customer experience.
The development comes amid increasing mobile subscriptions and growing demand for internet services across Nigeria.
According to industry statistics released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and updated on October 12, 2026, total mobile subscriptions across Nigeria’s four major telecommunications networks rose to 197,416,694 in August 2026, compared with 195,108,814 in July.
The figures cover MTN Nigeria, Airtel, Globacom and T2, reflecting continued growth in mobile connectivity across the country.
The increasing number of subscriptions and rising data consumption have placed additional pressure on telecommunications operators to expand network capacity and improve infrastructure.
In response, the NCC disclosed that operators had committed to upgrading 12,000 telecommunications sites in 2026 to improve coverage, capacity and service quality.
The commission’s Executive Vice-Chairman, Aminu Maida, explained that operators carried out slightly more than 3,000 site upgrades in 2025 but had committed to a much larger infrastructure expansion programme in 2026.
According to him, the planned upgrades include deploying additional spectrum on existing 4G sites and converting older 2G and 3G infrastructure to support 4G and 5G services.
Maida said the pace of infrastructure deployment indicated that the industry was already ahead of its performance in the previous year.
While MTN maintained that phone settings and internet usage patterns contribute to rapid data depletion, the company also acknowledged the need for continued infrastructure investment to improve service delivery.
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